Outdoor Treasures has appeared in newspapers in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Here is a sample:

ATV road routes gaining traction in WisconsinMarch 22, 2016

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) trail riding has always been popular in Wisconsin. Tourists from Illinois and across the Midwest come to Wisconsin to ride on numerous off-road trails.

Popular riding areas close to the southern border include the Bong Recreation Area in Kenosha County and the Cheese Country Trail in Iowa, Layfayette and Green Counties. Moving north, you will find riders at the Riverview ATV Park in Kewaunee County and at the Dyracuse Mound Recreational Area in Adams County.

Just a two-hour drive northwest of Madison, ATVers navigate a 110-mile off-road public trail system through the 120,000-acre Jackson County Forest and the 67,000-acre Black River State Forest in Jackson County. It is estimated that all-terrain vehicle trails attract more than 23,000 visitors and add nearly $8 million to the Jackson County economy each year. “Off-roading” through wooded trails has always been a big part of the sport.

What’s fairly new to riders are road routes, which are defined as: “A highway or sidewalk (e.g. bridge sidewalk) designated for use by ATV operators by the governmental agency having jurisdiction.”

In addition to gravel and paved town, county and state roads, Wisconsin law says county forest roads open to vehicular traffic are highways and can be designated as road routes, as well.

Mike O’Reilly, president of the Jefferson Half-Mile ATV club in southern Wisconsin, said his Jefferson County club prefers to ride off the road and uses road routes only if they have to. The club has permission to ride on private lands and primarily uses approved road routes in the county to link several private land owners.

The Crawford County Ridge Runners ATV-UTV Club is one such club, looking to establish a new network of roads to ride where local regulations will limit ATV’s to a maximum 35 mph.

Crawford County is in the southwest part of the state and borders the Mississippi River. Amish families are settling in the area, where forested hills, scenic valleys and cold-water trout streams make up the landscape.

Club member Pat Murphy said the club has been busy meeting with towns and villages along with county and state officials as they seek approvals for new ATV routes.

“Crawford County has been very receptive to ATV use,” Murphy said. “The village of Gays Mills voted to open all streets to ATV-UTV traffic.”​Grant County borders Crawford County to the north and Illinois to the south. According to Judy Hazen, president of the River Ridge Runners Club based in western Grant County, her club also has found success in getting approvals for ATV road routes.

“We have approximately 100 miles of road that the club takes care of,” she said.

Hazen said the sport attracts a lot of families.

“There are a lot of grandparents taking grandkids for rides and moms and dads taking kids,” she said. “We’re trying to promote family activity.”Both Murphy and Hazen agree that there is an economic benefit to opening ATV road routes in their counties.

“We’re trying to bring money into our county and not take it out,” Hazen commented.

ATV’s must ride on the “extreme right side of the roadway” on most roads designated as all-terrain vehicle routes. Special green-and-white reflectorized signs must be purchased and installed on the route before riding can begin.

No state trunk highway (numbered highway) or connecting highway may be designated as an all-terrain vehicle route unless the department of transportation (DOT) approves the designation.

According to the DOT, the state trunk highway right-of-way is increasingly being used to accommodate recreational routes and trails. However, because of safety and other concerns, the DOT prefers ATV’s stay on off-road trails or travel on lower-volume, lower-speed road systems such as county or town roads, which don’t need DOT approval.

Since 2014, the DOT has been “getting inundated with a lot of requests,” said Robert Fasick, Wisconsin DOT right-of-way permits engineer.“If there is one word out there it is patience,” he said. “We have to look at a lot of different factors before we approve a route.”

The DOT recognizes that sometimes using the right-of-way of a state trunk highway is necessary to complete a proposed connection or loop.“We can understand a need,” Fasick said.

Road route regulations vary from town to town. There are rules on speed, age of driver, lights, noise, hours of operation, months of operation, insurance and registration, etc. And be aware that local ordinances may be more restrictive than state regulations.

Not everyone is a fan of seeing ATV’s on roadways. Opponents say it’s dangerous and ATV’s are not designed to be driven on paved roads.Dale Mayo, Vilas County Parks and Recreation administrator in northern Wisconsin, said Vilas County began opening road routes in 2014.​“There were a lot of people that were sure that once you started opening up asphalt routes you were going to have a lot of fatalities, he said. “That certainly wasn’t the case.”

More road routes are opening each year. In May of 2015, Vilas County opened a route utilizing roads and county forest lands from Eagle River to the upper peninsula of Michigan.

And last fall, “The St. Germain town board has approved opening all town roads to ATV’s and UTV’s,” said Mike Musiedlak, president of the St. Germain ATV Club.

The club is now waiting on final approval from Vilas County.

It’s recommended that ATV clubs interested in establishing new ATV road routes in their county start by getting support at the local level first and work up from there.​The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website posted an informative publication titled “ATV Route Guideline and Suggestions.” The handbook can help in getting the approval process underway.

Railroad bill needs your attention now! February 23, 2016

Wisconsin lawmakers once again are discussing the public’s right to easily access lands and waters in Wisconsin. The outcome could have a big impact on tourism.

At a recent public hearing in Madison, state Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby) said, “It’s currently illegal to cross the railroad track to access and enjoy our states many public lands and waterways. Until 2005 (Act 179) it was not considered trespassing to directly walk across the tracks or right-of-way of any railroad. Assembly Bill 876 simply restores the law to where it was prior to 2005.”

It should be noted that if you’re not at a dedicated crossing, Act 179 also made foot traffic illegal for property owners to cross private land as well. During the last state budget, Governor Scott Walker vetoed a similar attempt to allow direct pedestrian access across railroad tracks.Walker said: “I am vetoing this section because I am concerned that allowing a person to walk across railroad tracks outside of a designated crossing impairs public safety.”

Rep. Nerison is one of several lawmakers who introduced AB 876.

Nerison went on to say, “Wisconsin has a rich tradition of outdoor recreation reinforced by the state’s constitutional guarantee of the right to hunt, fish and trap. This bill allows our constituents to freely enjoy our state’s public recreational areas.”

George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, supports the bill. Meyer said the current law is a state-wide problem. Meyer explained that he asked the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a list of DNR properties impacted by the law.

“We got back a list of 121 DNR properties that are bisected by railroad tracks,” he said. “This does not include railroad crossings that cross federal lands such as U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuges and National Forests.”

Meyer pointed out that a railroad track cuts straight through Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo. Nearly 2 million people visit the park each year. “I’m confident in saying that a minimum of 100,000 people a year cross that railroad track. I suspect that a few, if any, understand that they are violating the railroad trespassing law,” Meyer said.

Even though the AB 876 is supported by a long list of outdoor groups, it also has many groups that still oppose it. The Wisconsin Legislature received a letter from the DuPage Railroad Safety Council. The Illinois organization said, “Not only is it wrong to allow people to trespass on private property (railroad tracks), more importantly, it is exceedingly dangerous.”

Last May, the La Crosse Tribune reported that, statistically, accidents are more likely from people intoxicated, suicidal, or simply wandering down the tracks than crossing them.

Dan Trawicki, who represents the Safari Club International for Wisconsin, agrees. Trawicki has read only one report of a hunter or angler killed by a train while walking across railroad tracks in Wisconsin.

Mark Clements, owner of Clements Fishing Barge in Genoa, has a lease with the railroad that allows his customers to walk across railroad tracks to access his business on the Mississippi River. Clements also runs a bait and tackle shop and is a passionate supporter of Nerison’s bill.

“The injury numbers are deceptive,” Clements said. “Most train accidents happen at dedicated crossings. We should be more concerned with that.”Clements went on to say there are other activities more dangerous than walking across railroad tracks.

“You’re more likely to be killed riding a bicycle,” he said.

Even if statistics don’t show that walking directly over railroad tracks is a major problem, there are plenty of powerful lobbyist lined up to sink the bill. According to the Government Accountability Board, in addition to three railroad companies, 16 other groups are against AB 876. They include: The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, League of Wisconsin Municipalites, Wisconsin Railroad Association, Wisconsin EMS Association, Wisconsin Troopers Association and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

It’s unfortunate, but in life there are risks in everything we do. We don’t outlaw bicycles, so why do we outlaw outdoor recreationists and other responsible pedestrians from walking directly across railroad tracks?

The railroad trespassing bill flew under the radar and was passed in 2005. The law made no sense then, it makes no sense now. I feel that the law is wrong for Wisconsin.​As of this writing, AB 876 passed the Assembly and now goes to the Senate. If readers of this column don’t contact elected Wisconsin lawmakers soon in support of AB 876, public access to prime outdoor lands and waters in Wisconsin will get more restrictive every year, or possibly eliminated, forever. The future of Wisconsin’s outdoors is in your hands.

This young angler, along with his father, walked across railroad tracks along the Mississippi River prior to 2005 to catch bluegills in a secluded backwater. Unfortunately, this harmless act is now illegal in Wisconsin.​ Further reading click here:: Anglers Feeling Railroaded by Trespassing Laws​​

​ According to the Crawford County Independent (2-25-16) a Wisconsin DNR memo states: "This might well be the largest loss of public access to public waters in the history of the state."

Please help us pass AB 876 in the Senate. Allow outdoor enthusiasts to cross railroad track property and have access to Public Lands/Waters.